Complicating traditional notions of textuality, illustration scholars have increasingly highlighted the various ways in which illustrations function as visual gateways into literary texts. Illustrations are not merely artistic embellishments; they generate distinct visual interpretations and provide new and alternative ways to read the original literary text. This lecture aims to explore the rich potential of the vast archive of visual material available to students and scholars alike by focusing on the eighteenth-century illustrations of Oliver Goldsmith’s seminal novel The Vicar of Wakefield (1766). It will first compare continental and British illustrations to uncover transnational exchanges. Secondly, it will analyse the images included in British editions of the novel alongside those produced as standalone furniture prints to highlight how the physical medium and production contexts impact the visualisation of texts in different ways. The goal is to demonstrate how illustrations offer unique insights into reading practices and the reception of literary texts.
Kwinten Van De Walle
Kwinten Van De Walle is a lecturer at the School of English Studies. He is a former junior post-doctoral fellow of the Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation and was a research fellow at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. His research predominantly focuses on eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century literature, illustration, and print culture. His current research focuses on illustrations of Oliver Goldsmith’s literary works (1766-1845).
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